Sunday, July 28, 2013

Building Learning Communities - 2013

Another amazing Building Learning Communities Conference for me and my students. I've been bringing students to BLC since 2006 and every year has been provocative and educational, but this year it felt like my students were more engaged than they ever have been.

They had the opportunity chat with Alan November and he asked what they were taking away from the conference. They answered with all the exciting ideas they'd picked up, but then he challenged them. He challenged them to go back this year to school and do something about those ideas. (We've scheduled a follow up in October to see what they've come up with.)

That's the type of experience you don't get in the classroom. Sure, I can tell them to try new things, but when someone outside challenges your kids to be amazing, magic can happen.

Additionally, the Tech Sherpas invited attendees to join them in a live show from BLC. They were able to talk about some of the work they did there and their experience throughout the conference.

And of course, all the people they meet from around the world. How often do you have the opportunity to give authentic feedback to others (like the awesome folks at TechSmith) and be listened too, taken seriously and have your suggestions realized in actual products.

I also wanted to give a shout out to Melanie Spencer from Canberra, Australia who was inspired by the students to start their own Tech Sherpa team, FANTASTIC!

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About Me

Starting my career as an elementary teacher at the Parawai School in New Zealand, I am currently the Educational Technologist at Regional School Unit #19 in central Maine. I have provided support to educators for over a decade and conducted professional development across the world. I have always loved working with students with a special focus on having them teach others. I work with student presenters in a weekly live tech support show broadcast at www.techsherpas.org. ACTEM’s 2013 Educator of the year, I have brought students to numerous conferences such as Maine's ACTEM conference, Alan November's Building Learning Communities and the Google Teacher Academy.